Old Bob and the Good Book Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mount Zion

Bob Marley & The Wailers released "Jammin'" in 1977 for their album "Exodus". The album was certified gold in the US and UK and also featured on the US Billboard 200 and US R&B Albums charts as well as achieving a top ten position on the UK Album chart.

Mount Zion is the common term for a specific hill found in Jerusalem, Israel. In the Hebrew Bible, this was a term used for the City of David, but in recent times has often been used to refer to the whole of Israel. Zion in Reggae music, generally refers to Ethiopia, the birthplace of humanity. However Zion is also used in broader terms, as a place of peace and unity, a utopian ideal.

Answer: Judah

"Iron Lion Zion" was written and originally recorded by Bob Marley in 1973, but released posthumously in 1992 on the album "Songs of Freedom". It reached fifth position on the UK singles chart.

The Lion of Judah is a symbol referring to the tribe of Judah, one of the sons of Jacob and is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Genesis. Revelations, the last book in the New Testament mentions the Lion of Judah as well, in reference to Jesus. Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, had the Lion of Judah as one of his titles and the symbol appeared on the Ethiopian flag from 1897 to 1974. Selassie is an important figure in the Rastafari movement.

Answer: Burn down Babylon

"Chant Down Babylon" was released in 1983 on the "Confrontation" album. Another of Marley's albums which was released posthumously after his death in 1981.

Babylon was a kingdom in Mesopotamia, founded around 2300 BC. Babylon is mentioned frequently in the Bible and generally has a very negative connotation. The Babylonians, under instruction of King Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem (known then as the city of Judah) and forced large numbers of Israelites into exile in Babylon. Babylon is seen as the oppressor of people. To this end, in Rastafari culture, Western political and economic domination and cultural imperialism and oppression is referred to as "Babylon" and "chanting down Babylon" is equivalent to taking political discourse against these systems as per "The Rastafari Phenomenon" by Nathaniel Samuel Murrell.

Answer: Jericho

"Jump Nyabinghi" was released on the 1983 posthumously released album "Confrontation".

"Love to see when ya move in the rhythm;
I love to see, when you're dancin' from within!
It gives great joy to feel such sweet togetherness,
Everyone doin' and they're doing their best
Huh, it remind I of the days in Jericho,
When we troddin' down Jericho walls:
These are the days when we'll trod t'rough Babylon, (na-na, na-na)
Gonna trod until Babylon falls."

Interesting side note, the Nyabinghi are the oldest of the different Rastafari groups, referred to as mansions. The name is taken from a Ugandan/Rwandan tribal queen who legend says, possessed a woman named Muhumusa who spearheaded a rebellion in the 19th century against African colonial authorities.

Answer: Ham

"Give Thanks and Praises" is from the 1983 "Confrontation" album.

After the great flood, spoken of in the book of Genesis, Noah and his descendants were tasked with repopulating the earth. Japheth was the eldest and his descendants encompassed much of Europe. Shem, the second son, is the forefather of the Israelites and the twelve tribes were descended from him. All of Asia was reputed to be of his line. Ham was the youngest son of Noah and he in turn had four sons, each which is the forefather of an African/Middle Eastern area. Mizraim is Egypt, Phut is Libya, Canaan is Land of Canaan which roughly encompasses Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, western Jordan, and western Syria and Cush, who is the associated with Ethiopia.

Answer: King David and Solomon

"Blackman Redemption" is another song from the posthumous 1983 Bob Marley album "Confrontation".

The song is about Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I. His full title reads as "By the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Elect of God". Ethiopian traditions state that monarchs must be able to trace their lineage to Menelik I who is the child of the Queen of Sheba, Makeda and King Solomon, who in turn was the son of King David. The Bible tells of King David, the shepherd who became king and his son, the wise King Solomon.

Answer: Philistines

"Rastaman Live Up!" is yet another song from the 1983 album "Confrontation".

"David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone;
Samson slew the Philistines with a donkey jawbone:
Iyaman, live up!
Rastaman, don't give up!
Binghi-man, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!"

The story of David slaying the giant Philistine Goliath with a sling and stone is told in 1 Samuel. Samson slaying 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey is told in the Bible book of Judges.

Answer: Red Sea

The song "Exodus" was released on the Bob Marley & The Wailers album of the same name in 1977. It was to be the band's ninth studio album.

In the lyrics Marley calls on another brother Moses to lead them from Babylon just as Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea along the way as described in the Bible book Exodus. The lyrics follow, "We're leaving Babylon, We're going to our Father land". This was partly in relation to the Back to Africa movement as well as Ethiopianism which was fairly strong in the 19th century. Many people within the Rastafari community were pushing for a return to Africa and this idea was aided by the founding of the Ethiopian World Federation by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1937 which subsequently granted land to Jamaican emigrants under the 1948 Shashamane Land Grant.

Answer: Sycamore

"Time Will Tell" was released on the 1978 album "Kaya". The album achieved a top five position on the UK Album chart.

The sycamore tree is mentioned a number of times through out the Bible, but one of the better known stories is about Zacchaeus spoken of in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. A tax collector, he climbed a sycamore tree to better see Jesus as he was not a tall man. Jesus called him by name to the shock of the crowd and invited himself to Zacchaeus' home.

Answer: Holy Armageddon

"One Love/People Get Ready" is from the 1984 "Exodus" album.

"Let's get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (One Love!)
So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (One Song!)
Have pity on those whose chances grows thinner
There ain't no hiding place from the Father of Creation"

Armageddon is mentioned in the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament of the Bible. According to Revelations, there will be a gathering of armies and there will be a battle at the end of times.

Revelations 16:15-16 "Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed." Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon"